Expert available to comment on new rape defendant policy

Dr Phil Rumney, a Reader in Criminal Justice at the University of the West of England, is available for media commentary today on the new policy proposing anonymity to rape defendants.

Dr Rumney is an expert in criminal justice and criminal law, with particular reference to rape and sexual assault; coercive interrogation of terrorist suspects; freedom of expression.
He is a member of the Editorial Board, Crime, Punishment and the Law (2006 to date) and was a member of the 'Expert Group', as part of the Department of Health and NIMHE, Victims of Violence and Abuse Prevention Programme (2005-2007).

Dr Rumney said, “The proposal is an unnecessary measure based on an assumption that men need protecting from false allegations of rape and that false rape allegations are particularly common. It also treats rape differently from other serious offences such as murder or terrorism cases which can also have a serious effect on the lives of those wrongly accused. But under these proposals, people accused of murder or being a terrorist will be not be given anonymity.”